Oprah Winfrey lands in Montrose the week of the Artemis II crew tribute

Oprah Winfrey flew from Santa Barbara to Montrose, Colorado, on May 13, 2026, arriving at the airport serving Telluride — the location of her longtime mountain retreat. The trip came the same week she publicly saluted the NASA Artemis II crew on Instagram, describing them as “an inspiration for all,” per celebrityinsider.com.

Artemis II is NASA’s first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years, with a crew that includes the first Black astronaut and the first woman to travel beyond low Earth orbit. Winfrey’s acknowledgment placed her squarely in the conversation around the mission, which has drawn broad public attention. Whether the flight was tied to a private meeting, a speaking engagement, or simply time at her Telluride-area home is not publicly known — but the timing aligns with her known pattern of using the aircraft for both business and personal retreats.

Winfrey’s Gulfstream G700, N540W, has been active across the U.S. in recent days, including a cross-country run from California to Wilmington, North Carolina, on May 9, followed by a trip to the New York area on May 10, then northwest Arkansas, Louisiana, and finally Colorado. The Montrose airport is a regular access point for her Telluride residence, and this flight fits the established pattern: a media mogul traveling on her own schedule, with no commercial delays — and, as she once put it, “the best gift to myself.”